Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose!
As a budding professional I have had very limited experience outside of the client-therapist relationship. Throughout my first three months as an intern I have been able to observe the importance of establishing positive relationships with families and caregivers. Those caring for our clients at home play an integral role to their overall success. Families of children with special needs are similar in that they too require a different level of support. As therapists we’re constantly figuring out how we can draw the circle wider and actively involve families in the overall therapeutic experience. The following are a few insights on how to incorporate families and why it is important:
- What’s the at-home dynamic?
Especially when working with new or less familiar clients it is important to understand where they come from and what their at-home support system is like. Asking the parents/caretakers who bring the child open ended questions can be a great way to get to know them and start to build a trusting relationship. Questions such as, “What kind of music does your child like?”, “What are some goals you have for your child?”, “Who are the members of your family/does your child have any siblings?”, “What activities do you do as a family?”, or “What are some things that your child enjoys?” can give the therapist some insight on family dynamics as well as build rapport with the client’s family.
2. Repeat after me: communication is key!
When in doubt, always over communicate. Parents are going to have concerns, that’s just the nature of their job. Communicating how the interventions we’re choosing are supporting the child’s goals and showing them different resources we’re able to provide can help ease those concerns. Parents are quicker to support and understand what we’re doing if they are shown how we are working towards their child’s goals and given research to show why what we’re doing works. Taking time to demonstrate the tools (e.g. books, visual, and/or videos) that are being used in their child’s music therapy sessions to the parents in the waiting room or emailing it to them is a great way for them to see how music works with their child. Even if parents are able to hear what is going on from the waiting room, it is helpful for them to see the resources being used and how their child is responding to them. It also gives them ways to help generalize these concepts to their child’s everyday life.
3. You’re not an island: collaborating with the interdisciplinary team
Often times children working with a music therapist will also be in other forms of therapy such as speech, occupational therapy, or physical therapy. Communicating with the parents and/or the child’s other therapists on ways they are working to reach the child’s goals provides consistency and is more effective in helping the child reach those goals more quickly.
Maggie
Sources:
Kaczmarek, L. (2007). A team approach: Supporting families of children with disabilities in inclusive programs.
Tara Harwell, M.A., MT-BC, NMT http://www.themusictherapycenter.com/?page_id=5656
